Man indicted in arson

Man indicted in arson

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mahoning County grand jury has indicted a 52-year-old North Side man on an arson charge in an Oct. 20 fire that destroyed a vacant 1900-vintage stone mansion at 259 Park Ave.

Steven Demidovich, of 277 Park Ave., was indicted Thursday on the fourth-degree felony charge, and faces a potential six- to 18-month prison sentence if he’s convicted.

The house, which had been on the south side of Wick Park, collapsed as firefighters battled the 4:51 a.m. blaze. The loss was estimated at $75,000. There were no injures. The blaze was one of a series of North Side arson fires last October.

2 women charged

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Township police charged a Canton woman with robbery and obstructing official business after she was accused of shoplifting at the mall.

Mary Ann Caldwell, 26, of Canton, and Elizabeth A. Ray, 33, of Massillon, were stopped about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday by Macy’s store security. Store security told police that both women were recorded on store video selecting merchandise and leaving the store without paying for it.

Ray was charged with theft.

Caldwell is accused of fleeing and then fighting with security personnel, resulting in a robbery charge. She also is accused of initially providing police with a false name, leading to the obstructing charge.

Theft by deception

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A Lowellville man is accused of obtaining 22 Apple iPhones in the name of a Youngstown business without authorization.

Police arrested Louis A. Irizarry, 25, of Oak Street, Lowellville, Wednesday afternoon, on a warrant charging him with theft by deception.

On Feb. 24, the owner of the Foster Theater, a Glenwood Avenue adult-movie theater, reported that she was contacted by an employee of AT&T in Austintown, asking if she was the person to authorize purchases for the theater.

The AT&T employee told her that a man had bought 22 cell phones at two AT&T locations in the township and one in Poland, using the theater information. All of the phones had been activated.

The theater owner said she hadn’t authorized the purchases and didn’t know who the man was. The total value was about $8,800, and the man used the theater’s address as the billing address.

New commander

VIENNA

Navy Lt. John C. Holzer will assume command of the Navy Operational Support Center Youngstown Air Reserve Station on Saturday during a change of command scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Naval Reserve Center. After the ceremony, a reception will be at the Navy Center.

Holzer replaces Cmdr. Fredrick Vincenzo, who has commanded the Naval Reserve Center since 2008. Holzer’s most recent assignment was onboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Ramage as the fire-control officer and ballistic-missile-defense officer.

Food distribution

YOUNGSTOWN

Friends House Chapel, 192 Haseltine Ave., will have a food distribution from 11 a.m. to noon today for residents of ZIP code areas 44505 and 44506. Recipients are asked to bring containers.

Man with ax pinned by one-legged man

YOUNGSTOWN

City police are still trying to determine how an ax-wielding man ended up pinned to the ground by a man missing one leg on the city’s South Side.

Police found the 49-year-old Lakewood Avenue man holding an ax but pinned down by a 49-year-old Dorothy Avenue man who told police his artificial leg fell off while he was running moments earlier at 1:38 a.m. Thursday. Each man claimed the other tried to rob him.

Police said both men were less than truthful about the events leading to the situation, but officers found a broken crack pipe and bags used to hold illegal drugs, leading officers to believe the situation was drug-induced.

No arrests were made.

House fire kills woman

WEST FARMINGTON

A woman died in a house fire at 5585 Ensign Road N.E. early Thursday. Bloomfield, Braceville, Bristol, Greene, Mecca, Mesopotamia, Middlefield, Newton Falls, Southington and Warren Township fire departments responded to the call that came in at 12:40 a.m.

A Trumbull County dispatcher said Katherine Lee was the name of the woman who died in the fire. The dispatcher didn’t have Lee’s age. The state fire marshal is continuing the investigation with the West Farmington Fire Department. The modular home was destroyed.

Crash kills Pa. man

ELLWOOD CITY, PA.

Joseph M. Aegan, 33, of Ellwood City, was killed late Wednesday when the car he was driving failed to make a curve on Pa. Route 65 in Wayne Township, ran off the road and hit a utility pole and embankment.

The car veered back across the road and rolled several times before coming to rest upright in a field several feet east of the road, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

Aegan, who police say was traveling at a high rate of speed and not wearing a seat belt, was pronounced dead at Ellwood City Hospital. State police are continuing to investigate the one-car crash. The vehicle was heavily damaged. No other injuries were reported.